Day or night, a trip to the Khaosan Road was an assault on the senses; loud, colourful and fun.

For thousands of visitors it was the best kind of chaos, the old friend you could always rely on to throw a good party.

It seems city officials didn't share their enthusiasm and this month banned all commercial activity on the pavements during the day, sweeping away an assortment of street stalls.

City Hall has decided to restrict stall sizes and limit vendors to operating only between 6pm and midnight to "create order and return the footpath to the people".

After years of threats, it appears the Khaosan is being officially sanitised.

An overzealous cleansing of its chaotic qualities risks diluting its identity and turning it into a bargain basement version of stiffly starched SingaporeSiobhan Robbins

While stallholders have complained bitterly about the hit to their incomes and some tourists have suggested the move has ruined the atmosphere, this "khao-sanitisation" is hardly a shock.

Ever since the military government came to power in a 2014 coup, there has been a concerted effort to impose order on Bangkok, a city famous for its bars and raunchy night life.

Last year, the authorities announced an initial crackdown on street stalls in the interest of "cleanliness, safety and order".

What followed was a slew of panicked international news headlines that the city was "banning street food", a move some denounced as a tragedy, given that it is renowned for its cuisine.

The clamour led to a climb down or "clarification" that vendors were not being swept away from the Khaosan and Yaowarat roads, but would still be cleared from walking paths in other popular tourist areas.

A year later, the clean up is back and this time there's no escape for the Khaosan.

Bangkok's deputy governor, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, told me: "My intention is not banning vendors, instead I want to make them legal and safer.

"I want tourists to think of the Khaosan Road as a landmark in neat and clean ways.

"Normally the footpaths and streets are so crowded in the evening and if something terrible happened like a fire or any emergency, there would be a great loss because the whole place is too packed."

The new rules are meant to be temporary until a permanent solution is announced.

Image:Elephants performed on the street to celebrate the 2014 World Cup in Brazil

But the hundreds of stallholders who say their livelihoods are now at risk don't believe this is just a limited clean up, rather part of a concerted effort to rid the city of all of its street vendors- a move they're determined to fight.

"It seems like the government is trying to kill the Khaosan area," said Poonsap Suanmuang Tulaphan, director of the Foundation for Labour and Employment Promotion.

"Tourists go to the Khaosan to see Thai culture, charming life, street food and to buy cheap souvenirs. Banning street vendors during the day will affect tourism in Bangkok and across Thailand. "

She has a point.

The city's food stalls are not just for tourists, but places where locals can also eat cheaply.

They're a social glue, bringing people from all walks of life together to sit and chat.

While any serious hazards should be removed, Bangkok's charm comes from its noisy, inviting and slightly ragtag street life.

An overzealous cleansing of its chaotic qualities risks diluting its identity and turning it into a bargain basement version of stiffly starched Singapore.

And that really would be a cultural tragedy for Thailand and the world.

Sky Views is a series of comment pieces by Sky News editors and correspondents, published every morning.